The World Combat Games Riyadh 2023, hosted for the first time in the Middle East after a 10-year break, has been underway since 20 October and will continue till 30 October in just one venue, King Saud University Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
COMPLETE INCLUSION The World Combat Games Riyadh 2023 is considered the only event that brings Olympic, Paralympic, and Special Olympic athletes, Independent National Athletes, and a big presence of females in one place to compete together within the same medal tally, recording over 814 females out of 1800 athletes in total.
SAUDI FEMALE ACHIEVEMENT Boasting a strong female presence, 15 medals were achieved by women out of 38 in total for Saudi Arabia at the end of competition day five, thus leading the total standings of the World Combat Games medal by number.
“I think more women should be participating in fencing at World Combat Games,” said Saudi bronze medallist fencer Ruba Al Masri. The first almost-all-female Saudi podium was the Fencing Women’s Sabre individual, as Saudi’s first female fencing medal in a World Combat Games came from Dana Al-Qahtani, as she stood on the podium together with two of her compatriots Hasna Al Hammad (silver) and Ruba Al Masri (bronze). The other bronze medal went to UAE’s Mahra Ali.
Ukraine captured the lion’s share of gold medals in the Pankration Wrestling competitions, with the Men’s team winning 4 golds, and in the same competitions, another two golds for the women’s, as Ukrainian Anna Bezinar and Daria Chepisova both claimed gold in the 53kg and 65kg respectively.
The competitions for 4 sports continue, as Belt Wrestling competitions will conclude with the participation of 80 male and female players. The competition will be in 10 weights: 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, and 90 kg for men, and weights of 55, 60, 65, and 70 kg for women.
The jiu-jitsu competitions will also conclude today, which will witness the Paralympic competitions, starting with weight categories of under -73 kg, -84 kg, and -85 kg for men, weights under 60 kg for women, and mixed teams.
